Status system

ABSTRACT

A system for use in monitoring the statuses of a plurality of similar type objects includes transmitting terminals, logic structure and display structure. When used to monitor the status of a hotel room, information identifying the hotel room, and its status, including whether the room is vacant and not made up, vacant and made up, and occupied, is shown on a display. Information identifying a particular room and describing its status is transmitted from any transmitting terminal to the logic. Selected transmitting terminals, such as the cashier&#39;&#39;s terminal, are given priority in the transmission of data to the main logic over all other transmitting terminals. Structure is provided for indicating errors in the displayed status of a given room resulting from conflicting data relating to that room being received from the transmitting terminals. The system can detect a false report that the room is vacant, or a false report that the room is occupied. Because a hotel contains numerous types of rooms, structure is provided for displaying simultaneously all the rooms of a given type. Both the room clerk and housekeeper have a separate display. The information on the clerk&#39;&#39;s display is capable of being corrected or updated not only by new information from the transmitting terminals but also by information placed into the system by the clerk and the cashier. Structure is provided to enable the clerk to change the status of any room to any status that may be desired. The clerk&#39;&#39;s display also shows running counts of total rooms occupied, total rooms vacant, total number of rooms scheduled to be vacated and total number of rooms reserved for new occupants. To prevent the system from failing to operate when all the data expected from a transmitting terminal fails to be received, structure is provided for automatically restarting the system.

United States Patent Miehle et al.

STATUS SYSTEM James A. Miehle, Los Altos; David S. Pratt, Cupertino; Robert M Rees, Atherton, all of Calif.

Inventors:

Primary Examiner-Donald J. Yusko Attorney-Alan H. MacPherson 5 7 ABSTRACT A system for use in monitoring the statuses of a plurality of similar type objects includes transmitting terminals, logic structure and display structure. When used to monitor the status of a hotel room, information identifying the hotel room, and its status, including whether the room is vacant and not made up, vacant and made up, and occupied, is shown on a display. Information identifying a particular room and describing its status is transmitted from any transmitting terminal to the logic. Selected transmitting terminals, such as the cashiers terminal, are given priority in the transmission of data to the main logic over all other transmitting terminals. Structure is provided for indicating errors in the displayed status of a given room resulting from conflicting data relating to that room being received from the transmitting terminals. The system can detect a false report that the room is vacant, or a false report that the room is occupied. Because a hotel contains numerous types of rooms, structure is provided for displaying simultaneously all the rooms of a given type. Both the room clerk and housekeeper have a separate display. The information on the clerks display is capable of being corrected or updated not only by new information from the transmitting terminals but also by information placed into the system by the clerk and the cashier. Structure is provided to enable the clerk to change the status of any room to any status that may be desired. The clerk 's display also shows running counts of total rooms occupied, total rooms vacant, total number of rooms scheduled to be vacated and total number of rooms reserved for new occupants. To prevent the system from failing to operate when all the data expected from a transmitting terminal fails to be received, structure is provided for automatically restarting the system.

31 Claims, 41 Drawing Figures 7 5 J HOUSEKEEPER MAIN r ROOM TYPE DISPLAY DISPLAY f DATA RRoR SKIP DATA cIIEcKouTsa J T RESERVATIONS 6 [k V I 31 J COZI'XIZI'SQL CASHIER 1 TERMINAL HOUSEKEEPER MAIN LOGIC DATAW LOGIC 4 DATA CLERK'S CONTROL DA A T PANEL I DATA CONTROLq CONTROL DATA DATA" CONTROL lst End 24 nth MAID MAID J MAID J TERMINAL TERMINAL TERMINAL 9 Lo c K D l A G R AM SHEET 03 0F 33 vTm:

P'A'TENTEDJUL 4 m2 PATENTEDJUL 4 x972 SHEET 11 [1F 33 AMQMWEZDIV N QN m0 P3950 :N no .5950

EN m0 PDnEbO A I ON; EN x0040 20mm m6 P6 96 96 min. 95 w-5 m-5 9G 9m 96 I mN 

1. A system for use in monitoring the statuses of a plurality of similar-type objects, which comprises; means for recEiving and transmitting to a logic means, information relating to the statuses of said similar-type objects; logic means for operating on said information transmitted from said means for receiving and transmitting, to produce intermediate signals indicative of the statuses of said similar-type objects; and means, responsive to said intermediate signals, for displaying the statuses of said plurality of similar-type objects; wherein said means for receiving and transmitting comprises a plurality of transmitting terminal means, said plurality of transmitting terminal means comprising a first set of transmitting terminals which are given access to said logic means sequentially and periodically in response to an interrogate signal from said logic means; and at least one selected transmitting terminal which has priority in the transmission of information to said logic means over said first set of transmitting terminals provided none of said first set of transmitting terminals is transmitting information to said logic means, and wherein each of said transmitting terminals comprises: means for receiving information identifying any one of said plurality of similar-type objects and defining its status, said means for receiving comprising; a first set of switch means for receiving information which identifies the particular one of said plurality of similartype objects the status of which is being transmitted to said logic means; and a second set of switch means for receiving information giving the status of said particular one object; means for requesting access to said logic means, comprising; means for transmitting a request signal to said logic means, said request signal initiating the transmittal of an enable signal from said logic means to said transmitting terminal; means, at said transmitting terminal, for detecting the receipt of said enable signal; and means for encoding said information identifying the particular object and defining its status and for transmitting the encoded information to said logic means, after the detection of the receipt of said enable signal, said means for encoding comprising; means for converting the information received by said first set of switch means and said second set of switch means into a sequence of duration modulated pulses; and means for transmitting said duration modulated pulses to said logic means.
 2. Structure as in claim 1 wherein said logic means comprises; means for periodically and sequentially interrogating each of said first set of transmitting terminals to detect a request signal transmitted from one of said terminals indicating that that terminal has received information identifying an object and defining its status; means, responsive to said request signal, for transmitting an enable signal to the transmitting terminal producing said request signal, said enable signal activating said transmitting terminal containing information identifying an object and its status, so that said transmitting terminal transmits to said logic means said information identifying said object and defining its status; means for producing an intermediate signal indicative of the new status of said identified object; means for transmitting said intermediate signal to said means for displaying, said intermediate signal activating said means for displaying to display the new status of said identified object; means for comparing the newly reported status of the identified object with the previously reported status of said identified object to determine if the newly reported status of said identified object is compatible with the earlier reported status of said object; and means for producing an indication of the type of error in the reported status of said object in the event said newly-reported status of said object is incompatible with said previously-reported status of said object.
 3. Structure as in claim 2 wherein said means, responsive to said request signal, for transmitting an enable signal to activate a transmitting terminal comprise; means for generating said enable signal, said enable signal comprising a tone signal; means for transmitting said tone signal to that one of said first set of transmitting terminals first reached by said means for periodically and sequentially interrogating which produces a request signal, said tone signal terminating after a selected time; and means for preventing said means for periodically and sequentially interrogating from completing the interrogation of said first set of transmitting terminals upon detection of a request signal from a transmitting terminal until the information contained in said transmitting terminal is transmitted to said logic means.
 4. Structure as in claim 3 wherein said means for comparing the newly-reported status of the identified object with the previously-reported status of said identified object comprises; means for storing a first-reported status of an identified object; and means for receiving the newly-reported status of said object and producing an output signal if said newly-reported status is in conflict with said previously-reported status.
 5. Structure as in claim 1 wherein said means for displaying comprises; means for displaying codes identifying said plurality of similar type objects; means for indicating adjacent to the code identifying each of said similar-type objects, the last reported status of each of said similar type objects; and means for indicating and identifying an object the status of which is in conflict with the previously reported status of said object.
 6. Structure as in claim 5 wherein said means for displaying includes; means for indicating the number of said plurality of similar-type objects which meet one of several different requirements.
 7. Structure as in claim 5 wherein said means for displaying includes an auxiliary display for indicating which of said plurality are similar-type objects are in a first category, and which of said plurality of similar-type objects are in a second category. 8 A system for use in monitoring the statuses of rooms in a hotel, which comprises; means for receiving and transmitting to a logic means, the number of each room in the hotel and the status of that room; logic means for operating on said room number and status information transmitted from said means for receiving and transmitting, to produce a set of intermediate signals identifying the room about which information is being transmitted and defining its status; means responsive to said set of intermediate signals, for displaying the statuses of said rooms, said means for displaying comprising; first means for displaying all room numbers; second means for displaying any one of a first set of statuses adjacent each room number, said first set of statuses including a showing of whether each room is occupied, vacant and not made up, or vacant and made up; and means for indicating an error between the currently reported status of a room and the last reported status of the room.
 9. Structure as in claim 8 wherein said means for receiving and transmitting to a logic means comprise; a plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type; and at least one transmitting terminal of a second type, said transmitting terminal of a second type having priority in the transmission of information to said main logic over said plurality of transmitting terminals of said first type.
 10. Structure as in claim 9 wherein each of said plurality of transmitting terminals of said first type comprise; means for receiving the number of any room and its status; means for transmitting to said main logic a request signal requesting access to said main logic for the purpose of transmitting said room number and the room''s status to said main logic; and means, responsive to an enable signal transmitted from said main logic in respoNse to said request signal for encoding and transmitting said room number and said room status from said transmitting terminal to said main logic.
 11. Structure as in claim 10 wherein said means for encoding and transmitting comprises; means for encoding said room number and said status into duration-modulated pulses representing in binary-code, said room number and said status; and means for selectively shaping and transmitting said pulses to said main logic.
 12. Structure as in claim 11 wherein said logic means comprises; means for periodically and sequentially interrogating said plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type to detect any request signals transmitted from said terminals to said main logic; means for detecting a request signal from a transmitting terminal of said first type being interrogated; means, responsive to an output signal from said means for detecting, for disabling said means for periodically and sequentially interrogating each of said plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type on receipt of a request signal from a transmitting terminal being interrogated, thereby to maintain a transmitting channel from said transmitting terminal producing said request signal to said main logic. means for signaling said transmitting terminal of a first type to transmit information to said main logic; means for receiving and decoding the information transmitted from said transmitting terminal to said main logic to produce intermediate signals representing the number of the room and its status; and means for preventing said transmitting terminal of a second type from interrupting the transmission of information from said transmitting terminal of a first type producing said request signal while its information is being transmitted to said main logic.
 13. Structure as in claim 12 wherein said logic means includes; means for detecting a request signal indicating a request for access to said main logic from a transmitting terminal of said second type; means for disabling said means for periodically and sequentially interrogating said plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type for the duration of the transmission of data from said transmitting terminal of a second type to said main logic; and means for preventing the receipt of a request signal from that transmitting terminal of a first type on which said means for periodically and sequentially interrogating is locked while disabled, thereby to prevent said transmitting terminal of a first type from interrupting said transmission of information from a transmitting terminal of a second type with a request signal.
 14. Structure as in claim 13 wherein said logic means includes means for detecting the end of transmission of information from a transmitting terminal of both first and second type and for producing a restart signal thereon, and means for enabling said means for periodically and sequentially interrogating each of said plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type upon receipt of said restart signal; and means responsive to said restart signal, for resetting said logic means to its normal state in preparation for the transmission of information from other transmitting terminals.
 15. Structure as in claim 14 wherein said logic means includes means for producing an auxiliary restart signal upon the elapse of a given time, even in the absence of receipt of all the information from a given transmitting terminal, said auxiliary restart signal functioning in the same manner as said restart signal.
 16. Structure as in claim 8 wherein said means, responsive to said set of intermediate signals, for displaying the statuses of said rooms comprises in addition; means for indicating whether each room is scheduled to be vacated; and means for indicating whether each room is reserved or not reserved.
 17. Structure as in claim 16 wherein said means, responsive to said set of intermediate signalS, for displaying the statuses of said rooms comprises in addition; auxiliary display means for indicating adjacent any room any one of a second set of statuses.
 18. Structure as in claim 16 wherein said second set of statuses includes a showing of whether any room is not made up, or made up.
 19. Structure as in claim 18 wherein said means for indicating an error comprises: means for indicating the vacating of a room without its occupant checking out at the cashier; means for indicating the erroneous reporting as vacant of a room still occupied; and means for showing the number of any room associated with either of these two types of errors and the type of error.
 20. Structure as in claim 19 wherein said means responsive to said set of intermediate signals, for displaying the statuses of said rooms comprises in addition: first means for indicating the total number of rooms scheduled to be vacated, second means for indicating the total number of rooms reserved, third means for indicating the total number of rooms vacant, and fourth means for indicating the total number of rooms occupied.
 21. Structure as in claim 20 wherein each of said first through fourth means for indicating comprises in addition; means for correcting up or down any total count, and means for resetting any total count to a preprogrammed initial value.
 22. Structure as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type comprises; means for correcting the status displayed adjacent any room number from ''''occupied'''', to ''''vacant, not made up.''''
 23. Structure as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type comprises; means for changing the status of any room from ''''occupied'''' to ''''vacant, not made up'''' and then to ''''vacant, made up.''''
 24. Structure as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said plurality of transmitting terminals of a first type includes; means for changing the status of any room from ''''vacant, not made up'''' to ''''vacant, made up''''.
 25. Structure as in claim 21 wherein said means for indicating whether each room is scheduled to be vacated comprises, in addition; means for increasing the count of the total number of rooms scheduled to be vacated.
 26. Structure as in claim 21 wherein said means for indicating whether each room is reserved or not reserved comprises, in addition; means for increasing the count of the total number of rooms reserved by one when the status of each room is changed from unreserved to reserved; and means for decreasing the count of the total number of rooms reserved by one when the status of each room is changed from reserved to not reserved.
 27. Structure as in claim 26 wherein said means, responsive to said first set of intermediate signals, for displaying the statuses of said rooms comprises in addition; means for changing the status of any room to indicate that said room is occupied; and means for changing the status of any room including means, responsive to said means for changing the status of any room, for increasing the total occupied count by one and for decreasing the total vacant count by one.
 28. Structure as in claim 26 wherein said at least one transmitting terminal of the second type includes; means for clearing information placed in said at least one transmitting terminal of a second type prior to the transmission of this information to said logic means.
 29. Structure as in claim 9 wherein said at least one transmitting terminal of the second type comprises; means for requesting access to said logic means; means responsive to an enable signal from said logic means for transmitting in coded form the number of a room and its status to said main logic, said means responsive comprising; means for encoding and transmitting to said main logic the number of said room and a coded signal indicating whEther said check out was scheduled or unscheduled, thereby to decrease the total scheduled check-out count shown on said first means for indicating by one if said check out was scheduled.
 30. Structure as in claim 9 wherein said means responsive to said first set of intermediate signals, for displaying the statuses of said rooms, comprises, in addition; means for indicating all rooms of any one of a selected number of types.
 31. A system for use in monitoring the statuses of a plurality of similar type objects, which comprises; means for receiving and transmitting to a logic means, information relating to the statuses of said similar type objects, said means for receiving and transmitting comprising a first set of transmitting terminals which are given access to said logic means sequentially and periodically in response to an interrogating signal from said logic means; and at least one selected terminal which has priority in the transmission of information to said logic means over said first set of transmitting terminals provided none of said first set of transmitting terminals is transmitting information to said logic means; logic means for operating on said information transmitted from said means for receiving and transmitting, to produce intermediate signals indicative of the statuses of said similar type objects, said logic means comprising: means for periodically and sequentially interrogating each of said first set of transmitting terminals to detect a request signal transmitted from one of said terminals indicating that that terminal has received information identifying an object and defining its status; means, responsive to said request signal, for transmitting an enable signal to the transmitting terminal producing said request signal, said enable signal activating said transmitting terminal containing information identifying an object and its status, so that said transmitting terminal transmits to said logic means said information identifying said object and defining its status; means for producing an intermediate signal indicative of the new status of said identified object; means for transmitting said intermediate signal to said means for displaying, said intermediate signal activating said means for displaying to display the new status of said identified object; means for comparing the newly reported status of the identified object with the previously reported status of said identified object to determine if the newly reported status of said identified object is compatible with the earlier reported status of said object; and means for producing an indication of the type of error in the reported status of said object in the event said newly reported status of said object is incompatible with said previously reported status of said object. 